Theft alarm for automobiles



l. l.. RIDGE THEFT ALARM FOR AUTWOBILBS Original Enea Feb.l 2'1. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 May s1, 1927. 1,630,968

l. L. RIDGE THEFT ALARM FOR AUTOMOBILES Original Filed Feb. 27, 1924 2 sheetssheet 2 Patented May 31, 1927.

IsAAC L. RIDGE, or :eAncrLIazsvII'iLn,y OKLAHOMA, AssIGNoR To RIDGE MANUFACTUR'- INC COMPANY, or BARTLEsvILLE, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION. -w

THEFT ALARM FORAUTOMOBILEs Application nieu February 27, 1924,'seria1'N0. 695,566. Renewed sebinary 17, 1927,

The principal object vot this invention is to provide a highly efficient, yet a rather simple andinex pensive alarm which will be actuated in case an automobile equipped therewith, is either driven under `its own power, or towed. A further object of the invention is to provide a support for a casing which contains the lalarm mechanism, said support being in Athe form of a transmissioncover plate which is applicable to an` ordinary transmission case.

A. 'still further object is to provide'attaching means for the above named transmission plate or Vfor the casing, if mounted 1n another manner, which cannot be released until the alarm is set in an inoperative condition by an authorized person. Yet another Object is to provide the cas- .ing with a removable cover or other movable portion for giving accessto the casing attaching means, and to provide common locking means for holding said Cover vor removable portion in locked position, as well as for controlling vthe operation of the alarm.

A still further aim is to provide a novel -form of cam adapted .to be easily mounted upon a transmission shaft, bet-ween a shaftencircling clutch springand a relatively stationary shaft-carried member at one end of said spring.

Another aim is to provide a device of the Y class set forth, so constructed as to make it practically impossible for a thief to throw the same` out of operation. H l/Vith .the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matterherein- .after described and claimed, the description beingsupplemented by thel accompanying drawings. j Figurefl is a vertical longitudinal s ectional view -showing the application of my invention to a transmission mechanism and its usual case.

Figure 2 is a top plan view partly.

away and in horizontal section. f f y Figure 3 is a view similarto Fig. lrbut partly in elevation illustrating the,` alarm operatinglever in readiness for operation, whereas Fig. 1 discloses `this levenlocked in an inoperative position, for. running-the car without operating the alarm. Y vltigures` 4 and 5 are verticaltransverse sectional views as indicated'by linesl-fi and 555 of Fig.i3. Y f

broken .Figure 6 is a side e'levvationo'f` the actuating (cam for the vabove-na'menil operating 1 eV.1 Q Figure 7:'is a's'ectional View of thefcam as indicated byline 7-7 of Figg. In the drawings above jbrieily described, the numeral'l designates a portion kof awell 'known' transi'nissio'n case which k is located .below ,the fronty floorboards 2 `of anyautd i mobile, theto'p ofsaid "case being formed with an opem-'ngfor giving access to transv mission parts within. Only-'a` portion of the transmission mechanism has been shown within the case 1,' asitis with this` portiononly `that the` present disclosure of the inventiOn'cO-Operates The numeral et designates `a drive shaft surroundedbyfthe usual clutch collar 5, andclutch-spring 6, and provided at `its rearend Vwith a stationarymember which constitutes one .section of the universal joint, by means ofwhioli the trans# mission`mechanism is commonly connectedwithl the propeller shaft extending to the rear axle. v.All of these parts areJ shown,'prin cipally to illustrate the manner` invr which the presentinvention co-acts therewith. i `8, I have shown an inclined transmis- `sion .co/ver which is secured by the usual screws 9 tothe case 1, to closethe'opening 3.

lilatending horizontally from and 'secured tok the. lower portion of thefcoverplate, lI have illustrated a casing 10 for a suitable i bell or other audiblealarm 11.Y In the present fdisclosure, Lthe casing k10 isfprovided with a removable cover plate 12 andj'when this cover plate is in' place, a number of the screws 9 V arefiiiaccessible, asthey arewithinthe cas- Consequentlvthi's casing cannotbere-V moved fromthe transmissioncase, without Vfirst removing the-cover 12, and forreasonsy gsetforth below', thisis practically impossible. when the device is set to sound an alarm, in f case theF machineA is moved by an unauthorized person., f In the edges of the cover plate 12 are provided with downwardly extending vflanges 13 which embrace thecasing 10 andat `their front ends may well have inwardly stampedstuds,111

lioldtlie 'front endof the cover in place, .even A,when its locking means isl released.k The construction, Vthe i' .side 1 "rear endpofthe cover 12 preferablyextends 'i underaliange ltformed' onthe rear endfof .thaasns ,10s and, in @niet t0' 'dsengase the engaging sockets '15 inthe casing VKsides,to,105

r known fform of lock` cylinder 22, controlled f Y reach operative movement of the lever 26, so

lcover from said flange, it is necessary to 2O in said cover, said barrel being suitably mounted, for instance, lupon abracket-2l secured in vthe casing 10.

Rotatable within the barrel 17, is a well by an'appropriateekey (not shown) or possibly by permutation lockingmeans. Upon the lower end of the cylinder 22, I have shown alateralrflange 23 adaptedto co-'act with a keeper v24 on the lower side of .the

vcover plate 12, to hold i this cover plate lagainst upward swinging when the alarm Y mechanism is set for operation, this association being shown in Fig. 3. The lock cyly inder 22.con trols not only the cover 12, but

controls the operation of the alarm mechanism and when'operated to hold this mechav`Ilism in anv inoperative condition, asseen in Fig. 1,`th'e flange. 23 vis free of the keeper 24 .A

and consequently, the `cover `plate 12 may be removed, 'giving access to the previously covered screws 9. Thus, the entire transmission cover plate V8 and parts carried thereby,

maybe removed formaking any necessary repairs to the transmission. In the construction shown, the cover plate `8is provided with an opening 25 at its lower Vor rear end,jthrough which an alarmoperating'lever 26 passes, said lever being fulcrumed between its ends at 27 on'an vappropriate bracket 28 secured to saidl cover plate 8. 'Uponthe lower end of lever 26, I have Ashownavroller 29 cooperable vwithan annu-- lar cam 30 which rotates with the shaft 4.

This cam is preferably ofthe angular vshape shown in Figs. 1 and 7, in transverse section, so that the inwardly extending flange 31 thereof will be frictionally held between the rear end of the spring'G and the member 7,

while the laterally projecting portion 32 of.y

the cam will .surround the rear end` of said spring 6. Thisportion 32 may well be provide-'d :witha iiuinbero'f set-screws 33. toV bind aga-inst the spring 6,V thus insuringy thatV l there shall be no turning of the shaft' 4 without corresponding turning ofthe cam.vr I vhave shown' thev upper end of the lever v 26 pivotally and "slidably connected at 34,

'with a short lever 3,5 fulcrumed on a'braclet 36 in'the casing 10, said leverl 35 being linked at`37 toga pivotally mounted alarm actuator 38;V Pivoted upon this actuator, a dog 39 has been yshown to co-act with a shoulder-'40 on a bell clapper41. "A spring v 42.is connected with the clapper 41 andanother Vspring 43 is connected with 'the kdog 39. lfVhen tlfe cam 30 yactuates the ylevier 26,`

`person. n

vertical position, the-actuator 38 is pulled this leverin Vturn swings thel lever 35 and causes it to pull upon the link 37,.thus

Vswinging the actuator 38 and causing the ,dog39 to engage the shoulder 40 andmove the clapper 41 outwardly from the gong 11,

`during which movement the spring 42 is placed under tension.V At a predetermined time, the dog 39 disengages the shoulder 40, due to the different arcs upon which the actuator 38 and the clapper 41 swing, and .a

when thisjtalres place, 'spring 42 swingssaid 'clappeij forcibly against the gong 11 to sound the latter. This will take place at that notice is effectively given that the machine is being moved by an unauthorized TWhen lever 26 Vswingstoward its 'i ln 'order' that thelever 26 maybe held in` a position at which the cam 30 will notactuate the same, I haveV shown the lower end Y of the'locl: cylinder 22 provided with an `eccentric stud 46 which co-acts with alateral extension 47 f ontheupper end vof said lever. Thus, when4 the cylinder'22 V,is turned to the proper position, lever'26 willbeheld as shown Vin Fig.v 1 and thev entire alarm mechanism willbe held in an inoperative condition to permit ruiming of the machine. l/Vhen the cylinder is in this 4position, Ithe f1ange'23 isvfree of the keeper-24 and consequently the cover plate 12 ofthe casing 10 may (bei removed;

Upon leaving the machine, fthe operator rotatesthe lock cylinder 22 to the position 'disclosed in Fig. 3, vthus engaging the Vflange 23 lwith the keeper 24lto lock the cover-"12 aga-inst removal, and atthe Sametime swing- 4ingjihe,lever'26"so that it may co-act with the cam 30-to be operated by thejlatterif an attempt is made to steal the car, either by running under its own power or by tow- 111g- Y f Excellent-'results may jbe obtained from thedetailsv disclosed'aiid theyyare therefore preferably followed, butthe present .dis closure is principally for illustrative purposes and within the 'scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes and modifications maybe made. f

lt may Q, herer be stated thatV transmission-operated 'appearing in certain `claims,`I contemplate operation k,of the alarm byany part of an automobile, used the termr in transmitting power from the motor to the wheels.

I claim:

l. Anattachment for automobiles comprising a transmission-operated alarm, and a casing for said alarm having a support in the form of a transmission cover plate provided with openings to receive the usual attaching fasteners, one or more of said openings being accessible onlyvthrongh the casing, the latter having a normally locked movable portion to prevent access to said one or more openings.

2. An automobile attachment comprising an inclinedl transmission cover plate having an opening at its lower end, a casing extending horizontally from the lower portion of said plate for disposition underthe floor of an automobile, an alarm in said casing having an operating member passing through said opening toextend into the transmission case, a cam adapted to be mounted on a rotary transmission part to actuate said alarm, and locking means at the upper side of said casing for moving operating member away from said cam and holding the former.

3. In combination, a transmissionV case; transmission mechanism inv said casing including a shaft, a clutch 4spring surrounding said shaft, and a shaft-carried member at one end of said spring; an annular shaftencircling cam having a portion held by said spring between the latter and said shaft-carried member, an alarm having an operating member extending into the path of said cam, and locking meansA for holding said operating member out of the path of said cam.

Al. A structure as specified in claim v3; said cam having a portion-surrounding one end of said spring and provided with a set screw to enoage the latter. i

`5. n attachment for an automobile transmission casing, comprising an alarmvcasing,

an alarm in said alarm casing, a transmis sion-controlled alarm-operated member eX- Isaac L. RIDGE;

vtending into said alarm casing,a removable vcover tor saidalarm casing, a keep-er carried 

